Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Rumors had been flying since the epic release, when quarterback Brett Favre became a free agent after his one season with the New York Jets. Those rumors were that Favre would join one of his most hated rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. While Favre once again denied he was going to come back into the NFL, he wound up signing with Minnesota anyway, just in time to miss most of training camp. The numbers he put up showed he still is among the games best, throwing for 4202 yards and 33 touchdowns while only having seven interceptions (the fewest in a single season in his career). His teammates were better playing alongside Favre too. Sidney Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe blossomed with a steady quarterback, rookie Percy Harvin did not perform like a rookie, and Adrian Peterson was not only a consistent runner but also an integral part in the passing game as well.

That brings up that question, is Brett Favre going to return to Minnesota in 2010? All indications say he will be returning to dawn the purple. There is no way Favre will end his career by throwing an interception to lose a game. He knows there is unfinished business and feels younger thanks to the supporting cast around him who all grew up watching Favre play. Don’t be fooled by his wavering right now, as he merely wants to miss most of training camp (like in 2009) to heal his ankle and be ready when things matter most. With his return his teammates all get high fantasy football rankings due to the play of a year ago. If by some rare chance Favre decides to hang it up, everyone outside of Peterson will lose significant value.

KEY ADDITIONS

Lito Sheppard (CB) – While all the attention was on the offense last season, the defense had its moments where they shined. The one area that always seems to struggle though is the secondary and the story was no different in 2009. Minnesota had a total of 11 interceptions last season, with only six of which coming from the cornerback position. Throw in the fact that the team only added one additional pick from the safety spot and you notice how poor the unit was as a whole in the defensive backfield. While Sheppard is not a big name that will make a huge impact (only two interceptions in 27 games over the past two seasons), he is a veteran that will be able to lock down wide receivers for the majority of their route. That allows the safeties to roam more free and give that stout defensive line another second or two to get to the quarterback. With the addition of both Sheppard in free agency and the drafting of Chris Cook out of Virginia in the draft, Minnesota has addressed the cornerback position in hope that a turn around comes in the very near future.

 

KEY DEPARTURES

Chester Taylor (RB) – Many may not view the loss of Taylor as a key departure; however, he was an integral part of the offense last season. Taylor totaled 727 yards from scrimmage in 2009 and was the only reliable running back behind Peterson (who has luckily stayed injury free). Taylor may not be able to carry an offense, but was an excellent change of pace back that was also a good option on third downs in the passing game. Replacing a veteran like Taylor will be tough, especially if Favre decides to miss most of training camp. Without any expertise or guidance, there may be some confusion with the quarterback and whoever takes over on third downs.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Toby Gerhart (RB)  – The Vikings raised some eyebrows with their selection of Gerhart in the second round. It’s not that Gerhart was overvalued or doesn’t have a bright future ahead of him, but he has the same kind of running style as Peterson. Minnesota needed to add someone to replace Taylor, but it’s tough to justify that Gerhart will be able to step in to his role and be a great third down back. It’s hard to say right now what Gerhart’s role will be, as he could be simply a backup to Peterson and perhaps steal carries away from him. There is the chance that the Vikings see what others don’t, meaning Gerhart can step in from day one and be as good a player as Taylor. Only time will tell.

Everson Griffen (DE) – Griffen’s fall in the draft was quite surprising. He was lauded as a potential first round pick out of USC, but questions about his character and lack of drive/intensity allowed to fall into the fourth round. If Minnesota can find a way to keep Griffen motivated, they will have a solid player that should fit into their system beautifully. It’s rare to find the type of talent Griffen has in the fourth round and they do not need to rush him onto the field, instead easing him into the rotation to take advantage of his explosiveness.

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BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Visanthe Shiancoe (TE) – Let’s first assume that Favre comes back as the quarterback of this team. Now that we have established that we can decipher how both Shiancoe and Percy Harvin can progress with another year catching pass from Favre. With the way Favre likes passing the ball to several different pass catchers, there is no doubt both players will have success. Shiancoe will likely see the same kind of numbers as a year ago, without a 100 yard game but he has a chance to score a touchdown almost every week. The tight end won’t see a ton of looks, but is the main option around the red zone. His touchdown numbers should again be in double digits and if you decide to wait on a tight end, Shiancoe could be the way to go with his bare minimum on yards being roughly 600. When adding the touchdown totals, you have a good fantasy football contributor.

Percy Harvin (WR) – If any player could reap the benefits of Favre returning in 2010 it’s Harvin. He has a firm lock on the number two role and Favre showed throughout the season how much he loved going to Harvin. His number may not have been special in his rookie year, 60 catches for 790 yards and sixhttp://brunoboys.net/entry/2010-team-preview-minnesota-vikings/ touchdowns, but remember that he missed one game and was not one hundred percent for a couple others. His speed and elusiveness is something special and perhaps something people don’t see is the possibility that Harvin supplements Taylor as that short yardage receiving threat on third downs. In a PPR league, it may be wise to invest in Harvin. Plus wide receivers tend to explode in their second year and after a good fantasy year as a rookie, Harvin could be in for some big time numbers as a sophomore in the NFL.

2010 TEAM PREVIEWS

NFC WEST:  ARI  |  STL  |  SF  |  SEA

NFC SOUTH:  ATL  |  CAR  |  NO  |  TB

NFC NORTH:  CHI  |  DET  |  GB  |  MIN

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GET YOUR COMMISH KIT DRAFT BOARD NOW

The Bruno Boys have once again teamed up with Commish Kit to sell fantasy football draft boards. The 2010 draft boards are available for purchase and you can pick one up here… DRAFT BOARDS

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